Educational Methods Commons^™

Effects Of An Inverted Instructional Delivery Model On Achievement Of Ninth-Grade Physical Science Honors Students, Donna Howell

Education Dissertations and Projects

This mixed-methods action research study was designed to assess the achievement of ninth-grade Physical Science Honors students by analysis of pre and posttest data. In addition, perceptual data from students, parents, and the researcher were collected to form a complete picture of the flipped lecture format versus the traditional lecture format.

The researcher utilized a 4MAT learning cycle in two Physical Science Honors classes. One of these classes was traditionally delivered with lecture-type activities taking place inside the classroom and homework-type activities taking place at home; the other inverted, or flipped, delivered with lecture-type activities taking place outside the classroom …

The Impact Of The One-To-One Laptop Initiative On Teacher Perceptions Of Instructional Delivery And Student Engagement In Middle School Mathematics, La'ronda Long Whiteside

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of the one-to-one laptop initiative on teacher perceptions of instructional delivery and student engagement in middle school mathematics. Teacher perceptions of the initiative vary. Several school districts in North Carolina have implemented the initiative and are examining the impact it has on teaching and learning. The one-to-one initiative has been an essential paradigm shift for several national and international schools. The learning environment of the one-to-one initiative immerses students in a curriculum that integrates technology in all subject areas.

Web-Based Peer Tutoring In Science Education, Aaron Mac Raighne

Other resources

Peer-instruction has been shown to have a very positive effect on students’ engagement and learning. PeerWise is a web-tool designed to allow peer-tutoring between students within a large class group. Students can write, answer and discuss Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) based on their work in-class. It is low-cost and low-maintenance software which has become increasingly popular across many subject disciplines as a method to introduce a peer-tutoring aspect to course work. In this study we introduce PeerWise as a form of continuous assessment to a wide and varied cohort of science students (N=509) across disciplines, undergraduate years, levels (certificate to …

Improving Classroom Discourse In Inquiry-Based Primary Science Education, Prudence Smith

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Teachers‟ capacity to use classroom discourse to deepen student learning through sustained conversation is considered crucial to increasing students‟ intellectual development. Learners actively construct knowledge and develop understandings from their shared experiences and via interaction with others (Driver, Asoko, Leach, Mortimer & Scott, 1994). However, talk that fosters students‟ capacity to reason is lacking in many classrooms (Alexander, 2006) and, what is more, teachers tend to control the discourse by asking a predominance of closed questions and using a question-answer recitation script which limits the exploration of students‟ ideas (Nystrand, Gamoran, Kachy, & Prendergast, 1997). The purpose of this study …

A Comparison Of Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test Math Scores Between At-Risk Fifth Grade Students Receiving Computer Based Math Instruction And At-Risk Students Not Receiving Computer Based Math Instruction, Katherine Arnold

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This causal comparative research study compared the mean score differences from two groups of fifth grade students. Both groups were identified at-risk, based on a curriculum based math measure and their 4th grade performance on the state assessment, for failure to meet math standards on the state assessment. The curriculum-based measure in this study was the 2011-12 AIMSweb Mathematic Concepts and Applications (M-CAP). Mathematics achievement was measured by scores on the 2012 math subtest of the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). Each group received classroom instruction using Learning Focused Schools (LFS) math strategies. The treatment group received additional computer …

Investigating The Impact Of Interactive Applets On Students’ Understanding Of Parameter Changes To Parent Functions: An Explanatory Mixed Methods Study, Robin R. Mcclaran

Theses and Dissertations--Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education

The technology principle in the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics (NCTM, 2000) states that technology plays an important role in how teachers teach mathematics and in how students learn mathematics. The purpose of this sequential explanatory mixed-methods study was to examine the impact of interactive applets on students’ understanding of parameter changes to parent functions. Students in the treatment classes were found to have statistically significantly higher posttest scores than students in the control classes. Although the data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between classes on procedural understanding, no statistically significant difference was found with regard to conceptual …

An Examination Of The Predictive Relationship Between Mode Of Instruction And Student Success In Introductory Biology, Lynette Kathleen Hauser

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Community colleges continue to increase online course offerings as these institutions strive to offer open access, cost effective education to a growing student population. With an increased student demand for online learning, community colleges should explore the possibility of offering all courses in the online environment, including science courses. The purpose of this quantitative research was to investigate the success of non-science major students in biology 102 on campus comparing students who completed biology 101 online to students who completed biology 101 on campus within Virginia community colleges. This was the first multi institutional, multi semester study of community college …

In Search For Instructional Techniques To Maximize The Use Of Germane Cognitive Resources: A Case Of Teaching Complex Tasks In Physics, Yekaterina Sliva

STEMPS Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to introduce an instructional technique for teaching complex tasks in physics, test its effectiveness and efficiency, and understand cognitive processes taking place in learners' minds while they are exposed to this technique. The study was based primarily on cognitive load theory (CLT). CLT determines the amount of total cognitive load imposed on a learner by a learning task as combined intrinsic (invested in comprehending task complexity) and extraneous (wasteful) cognitive load. Working memory resources associated with intrinsic cognitive load are defined as germane resources caused by element interactivity that lead to learning, in contrast …

Using Field Studies To Meet The Next Generation Science Standards, Amy Brown

Masters Theses

New science standards, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), recently have been released which require students to use modeling and other process skills and cross-cutting concepts to show understanding of core concepts. Understanding by design approach was used to develop an ecology curriculum in line with the NGSS framework, using field studies to involve students in real science. A schoolyard habitat area on Neoga School District property was used for the field studies. Students were assessed with pre- and post-tests, traditional classroom grades on labs and projects and the Modified ATSI and Children's Science Curiosity Scale. All students showed significant …

Can Education Improve The Environment? Applying The Pressure-State-Response Environmental Indicator Framework To Environmental Education Program Outcomes, Brian Johnson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which environmental education (EE) programs are contributing to environmental quality (EQ) improvement. The research applied the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) environmental indicator framework to the reported outcomes of 103 EE programs in order to 1) determine the extent to which existing EE programs are reporting EQ improvement outcomes; and 2) examine the extent to which these programs are impacting indicators in the three areas of the PSR framework. The study consisted of three research phases: evaluation synthesis, semi-structured interviews, and multiple-case study. The study found that 42 of 103 programs (41%) …

Theory Guided Professional Development In Early Childhood Science Education, Soo-Young Hong, Julia C. Torquati, Victoria J. Molfese

Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools: Faculty Publications

The importance of early and developmentally appropriate science education is increasingly recognized. Consequently, creation of common guidelines and standards in early childhood science education has begun (National Research Council (NRC), 2012), and researchers, practitioners, and policy makers have shown great interest in aligning professional development with the new guidelines and standard. There are some important issues that need to be addressed in order to successfully implement guidelines and make progress toward accomplishing standards. Early childhood teachers have expressed a lack of confidence in teaching science and nature (Torquati, Cutler, Gilkerson, & Sarver, in press) and have limited science and pedagogical …

Species Shout-Outs From Abdul To Zebra: Encouraging Nonmajors To Communicate In The Biology Classroom, Christina P. Colon

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Collaborating To Improve Inquiry-Based Teaching In Elementary Science And Mathematics Methods Courses, Paula A. Magee, Ryan Flessner

Scholarship and Professional Work – Education

This study examines the effect of promoting inquiry-based teaching (IBT) through collaboration between a science methods course and mathematics methods course in an elementary teacher education program. During the collaboration, preservice elementary teacher (PST) candidates experienced 3 different types of inquiry as a way to foster increased understanding of inquiry based teaching (IBT). The experiences included a PST driven science inquiry and a mathematics inquiry where PSTs were learners and a science inquiry where PSTs were teachers. During and following the semester of the collaboration, data were collected to assess the impact of the inquiry experiences on the PSTs’ understanding …

Effects Of Tracking Students In A Secondary Mathematics Classroom, Nicole Seyfried

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper evaluates current research on the effect of grouping students of comparable abilities, a process known as tracking, in a secondary mathematics classroom. The research explores questions regarding the advantages and the disadvantages of tracking students by ability; the manner in which tracking affects the achievement of students in homogeneous and heterogeneous settings, and the ways tracking affects the achievement gap. In addition, this paper answers the question of how tracking affects students’ self- concept and self-esteem. Lastly, it examines changes in teacher attitude with respect to each track level and the impact of ability grouping on classroom structure …

Cyber Collaboratory-Based Sustainable Design Education: A Pedagogical Framework, Kyoung-Yun Kim, Karl R. Haapala, Gül E. Okudan Kremer, Michael K. Barbour

Education Faculty Publications

Educators from across the educational spectrum are faced with challenges in delivering curricula that address sustainability issues. This article introduces a cyber-based interactive e-learning platform, entitled the Sustainable Product Development Collaboratory, which is focused on addressing this need. This collaboratory aims to educate a wide spectrum of learners in the concepts of sustainable design and manufacturing by demonstrating the effects of product design on supply chain costs and environmental impacts. In this paper, we discuss the overall conceptual framework of this collaboratory along with pedagogical and instructional methodologies related to collaboratory-based sustainable design education. Finally, a sample learning module …

The History And Impact Of A College‐Level Field‐Based Course On Learner And Community Development, David M. Harwood, Leilani Arthurs

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

Providing students with inquiry‐based learning experiences was a key recommendation made in the National Academies' 2007 report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future, and this presentation is about a model for providing such experiences to college‐level students through a field‐based geology course. GEOL 160 – Fundamentals of Geosciences in the Field was developed 10 years ago for undergraduate students preparing to be K‐12 science teachers. The goals of the course are to enhance undergraduate pre‐service science teachers’ (i) knowledge of geoscience and the nature of science, (ii) attitudes about science, and (iii) …

Insects As Teaching Tools, Doug Golick

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

In this talk I will present on projects in which insects were used as instructional tools. This presentation will give an overview of how insects can be used for teaching with a variety of student age groups and how inquiry instruction can be promoted with insects. I will present overviews of 3 projects including Bumble Boosters, Bugs in the Classroom, and Web‐based insects identification tools. Bumble Boosters created a community of researchers that studied bumble distribution and abundance and artificial nesting domicile preferences. Forty Nebraska high schools were involved in this project.

Bumble Boosters’ teaching objectives were to raise public …

The Effect Of An Instructional Model Utilizing Hands-On Learning And Manipulatives On Math Achievement Of Middle School Students In Georgia, Kara White

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The concepts and ideas of mathematics is a major element of educational curriculum. Many different instructional strategies are implemented in mathematics classrooms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an instructional model utilizing hands-on learning and use of manipulatives on mathematics achievement of middle school students. A quasi-experimental non-equivalent control-group design was used to examine 145, seventh-grade students from a North Georgia middle school. Data was collected to analyze if changes were experienced in pretest/posttest scores. A Mann-Whitney test was run and revealed initial group differences between the whole control and whole experimental groups, and also …

The National Academy Of Sciences Workshop On Assessments In Science Courses, Leilani Arthurs

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which have undergone the first stage of public review and are currently under development, address not only content knowledge but also scientific skills. As such, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Committee on Developing Assessments of Science Proficiency in K‐12 envisions the NGSS motivating change in the way that science is taught in the United States. A critical part of science instruction as it is envisioned with the NGSS involves using assessments. This DBER presentation will report on the latest NAS views regarding science proficiency assessments, as they were shared at all‐day workshop on …

Using Inquiry To Teach Microscope Skills, Susan Styer

Faculty Publications & Research

One of the first lab activities often done in a high school biology course is learning to use the microscope. As it is typically described in laboratory manuals, there is no inquiry involved in this activity. Students learn the parts of the microscope and information explaining its operation. There may be a review of the metric system. Then students examine cells, often to observe the difference between plant and animal cells. Students may be instructed to prepare wet mounts and do simple staining. All of these are important skills to have in order to use the microscope correctly, but it …

Instructor Use Of Tablet Pcs In A College Pre-Calculus Course: Implementation & Assessment, Julianna Connelly Stockton, Peter Gregory

Mathematics Faculty Publications

A group of six math instructors used tablet PCs to teach their individual sections of a high enrollment gateway Pre-Calculus course in a diverse urban four-year college. Student performance in the experimental sections were compared to those in 31 other sections in terms of student retention, pass rates, and score on the department-wide standardized final exam. Student performance was higher in Tablet PC sections across all three measures, although in some cases the improvement was not substantial enough to improve students’ overall course grades. Surveys of students and faculty in classes using a Tablet PC reflected overall positive impressions of …

Summer Institute On Scientific Teaching, Steven D. Harris, Anisa Kaenjak Angeletti, John Osterman

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

No abstract provided.

Young Children’S Understanding Of Conservation Concepts, Julia C. Torquati

Discipline-Based Education Research Group Speaker Series

This presentation will summarize an investigation of young children’s conservation knowledge and reasoning. Eighty‐two preschool aged children (3‐5 years) were interviewed at two points in time six months apart using a semi‐structured interview. The interview protocol developed by Peter Kahn (2001) was used to assess children’s conservation attitudes. This was the first time the interview was used with preschool aged children. Children were asked questions about the importance of animals, plants, parks, and gardens, and whether it is acceptable to litter (and why or why not). Fifty‐seven of the children attended a preschool located at a nature center, ten children …

Cognitively Guided Instruction (Cgi): Whats The Point? A Look Into Cgi And Cgi’S Potential Role In An 8th Grade Mathematics Class, Bryan C. Anderson

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This study examined the current research that exists on Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) and how it would look when implemented into an 8th grade mathematics classroom. Additional questions examined are if CGI would develop strong student understanding between mathematical concepts and their real world applications; if CGI techniques and questioning impact the interest level of mathematics students; and what type of extra resources would be needed by teachers to implement Cognitively Guided Instruction into their curriculum. Although much of the CGI research has been done on elementary students, by also examining key algebra practices the author was able to synthesize …

Transformative Multicultural Science Curriculum: A Case Study Of Middle School Robotics, Mary Katheryn Grimes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Multicultural Science has been a topic of research and discourse over the past several years. However, most of the literature concerning this topic (or paradigm) has centered on programs in tribal or Indigenous schools. Under the framework of instructional congruence, this case study explored how elementary and middle school students in a culturally diverse charter school responded to a Multicultural Science program. Furthermore, this research sought to better understand the dynamics of teaching and learning strategies used within the paradigm of Multicultural Science. The school's Robotics class, a class typically stereotyped as fitting within the misconceptions associated with the Western …

An Alternative Method: Using Novels In Mathematics To Teach The Concepts, Rachel Frances Colby

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This paper explains a research project conducted exploring the effectiveness of using the novel, The Number Devil, to teach math concepts. The effectiveness was measured by if students met the standards, if students understood the concepts, and if students enjoyed the method of instruction. The reason for conducting this research was to look at new ways of teaching mathematics due to the thought that many students dislike and do not understand math. Using novels could prove to be an effective way to vary the instruction and teach difficult concepts. To complete this research, I taught a class the math …

How Ipads Can Be Used In The Math Classroom To Improve Student Learning, Katie Ann Garrity Smieja

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This study explores how iPads can be used to enhance student learning in the math classroom. The author reviews current literature to determine how iPads are being used to facilitate communication, formative assessment, and promising practices in math education such as discovery learning and use of spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and manipulatives. Additionally, challenges and drawbacks to using iPads in the classroom are examined. Research supports the use of iPads to provide students access to digital content including online discussion boards and practice activities with instant feedback. iPads can also be used as student response systems to engage students in instruction …

Mathematics Classrooms At The Middle School Level: Does Grouping Make A Difference In Achievement, Adam Smieja

Mathematics Graduate Theses

This paper reviewed related research on student achievement based on how students were grouped, homogeneously or heterogeneously. Questions examined were whether students performed better in heterogeneous or homogenous groupings and to what extent did high-, average-, and low-ability students perform better in a particular group. Results showed that high-ability students in homogeneous groupings had higher gains in achievement when compared to their counterparts in heterogeneous groupings. However, gains for these high-ability students were not statistically significant. On the contrary, average-, and low-ability students did show statistically significant gains in achievement in the heterogeneous groupings. Yet, despite their effectiveness, implementation of …

The Relationship Between Student Achievement Of At-Risk Students And The Georgia Performance Standards In Mathematics, Loralee Ann Hill

Dissertations

Educational leaders continue to be challenged in terms of accountability measures for increased student achievement, as mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). In particular, schools must show adequate yearly progress (AYP) reaching 100 % proficiency levels for all students in the areas of English language arts and mathematics by 2014. In 2008, the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in mathematics were implemented at the high school level. Coupled with this new curriculum, a newly developed Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) in mathematics was administered in March 2011. The purpose of this study was to add …

Students' Conceptions About Climate Change: Using Critical Evaluation To Influence Plausibility Reappraisals And Knowledge Reconstruction, Doug Lombardi

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) reported a greater than 90% chance that human activities are responsible for global temperature increases over the last 50 years, as well as other climatic changes. The scientific report also states that alternative explanations (e.g., increasing energy received from the Sun) are less plausible than human-induced climate change. These climate scientists have made their plausibility judgment--which I define as the relative potential truthfulness of alternative explanations--based on the evaluation and coordination of multiple lines evidence with competing theoretical perspectives.

Climate change is a highly relevant and gravely serious topic; in an educational setting, …